Woven mesh and uses

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a woven mesh. The woven mesh comprises polyester such as poly(ethylene terephthalate). The present invention also relates to associated uses and systems of the woven mesh.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a woven mesh for multiple serves.Specifically, the invention relates to a device comprising a woven meshthat substantially comprises polyester and is applicable for use inmaking multiple serves of a consumable liquid such as coffee, tea or aninfusion.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) of thefiling date of Australian Provisional Application No. 2012904026, whichwas filed on 14 Sep. 2012.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY FUNDED RESEARCH

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

Historically, people have enjoyed the taste of coffee and tea due to theeffects of caffeine, for example, as well as an association of coffeeand tea with social interaction and intellectualism. As such, coffee andtea are two of the most widely consumed beverages in the world today.Coffeehouses, teahouse, cafes and coffee shops have met the need forsocial interaction with coffee and tea. With the increase of theseestablishments world-wide, such as in North America and Australia as itrelates to coffee in particular, the popularity of coffee is likely toremain and possibly increase. Consumers expect a good cup of coffeewherever they are, which includes travelling either by land, sea or air.

Tea has always been a popular drink and has its roots in China. Tea iscommonly consumed at social events, and many cultures have createdintricate formal ceremonies for these events. Western examples of theseare afternoon tea and the tea party. Hot tea has become increasinglypopular with Westerners.

The consumption of hot coffee and tea or an infusion when travelling byair relies on preparation of these consumable liquids by flight crewswith the use of brewers or Bodum®s. In the circumstance where a breweris used, what regularly occurs is that coffee grinds, tea leaves or anyselect materials for infusion are either placed in a paper filter oralready contained within a paper pillowpack. The flow of hot waterthrough the filter or pillowpack would result in the extraction orinfusion of the water soluble compounds from the coffee grinds, tealeaves or select material thus producing the relevant flavours in therespective resultant liquid for consumption.

However, flight crews have experienced problems when making coffee, teaand infusions for their passengers. For example, it has been reported ona number of occasions by Qantas that during the in-flight preparation ofcoffee for example for the economy cabin, paper pillowpacks for use inbrewers were found to explode or burst during the brew cycle. Inconsultation with a supplier of one of the brewers used on flights, theinventors found that the problem of bursting or exploding paperpillowpacks was a longstanding one both locally & internationally. Theincidence of bursting or exploding pillowpacks was so common that theabove-mentioned supplier even provided instructions on the front oftheir machines as to what to do in the event of bursting pillowpacks.The inventors refer to FIG. 1 in this regard.

The pillowpacks that are currently being used and available for purchaseon the market are made primarily of paper. When the paper pillowpackshave been used, it has been observed that these pillowpacks can fail inwhich contents, such as coffee grinds may be released into the chambersof the brewers. In several instances, the paper pillowpacks had burstdue to incorrectly inserting the pillowpacks into the brewers. However,the paper pillowpacks also failed when they were handled and used inaccordance to the manufacturer's instructions.

The inventors submit that the above problem has been solved by theinvention as described and defined herein. The invention is predicatedon the development of a device comprising woven mesh whereby the meshsubstantially comprises polyester and whereby the device is useful insecuring coffee grinds, loose tea leaves or any select materials forextraction or infusion by a solvent such as water. The device andexamples of various uses of the device are discussed below.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a deviceto produce multiple serves of a consumable liquid, whereby the devicecomprises woven mesh substantially comprising polyester. In addition,there is provided a device when used to produce multiple serves of aconsumable liquid, whereby the device comprises woven mesh substantiallycomprising polyester.

In one embodiment, the polyester may be one or a blend of the following:Polyglycolide or Polyglycolic acid, Polylactic acid, Polycaprolactone,Polyethylene adipate, Polyhydroxyalkanoate, Poly(ethylene terephthalate)(PET), Polybutylene terephthalate, Polytrimethylene terephthalate,Polyethylene naphthalate and Vectran. In a more preferred embodiment,the polyester is PET.

In one embodiment, the device is in the form of a filter or pillowpack.

In another embodiment, the pillowpack seals a select material.

In a further embodiment, the select material may be any plant part thatis infused to produce the consumable liquid. The plant part may beseeds, leaves, dried herbs, flowers, fruits or berries. The seeds may becoffee beans in the form of coffee grinds. The leaves may be tea leaves.

In one embodiment, the mesh is sealed by sealing means. The means toseal the mesh includes, but not limited to, ultrasonic welding anddirect heat. In another embodiment, the ultrasonic welding compriseshigh frequency low amplitude vibration. In an example, the highfrequency is within the range of about 15 kHz to about 40 kHz. Thetemperature to directly heat seal the mesh is in a range between about50 and about 200 degrees Celsius. In another embodiment, the temperatureis in a range between about 100 to about 150 degrees Celsius. In afurther embodiment, the temperature is about 125 degrees Celsius.

In one embodiments the dimensions of the mesh comprise a width andlength of about 50 millimetres (mm) to about 200 millimetres (mm)respectively.

In some embodiments, the dimensions of the mesh comprise a width andlength of about 90 millimetres (mm) to about 120 millimetres (mm).

In another aspect, the present invention relates to use of a device tomake multiple serves of a consumable liquid, whereby the devicecomprises a woven mesh substantially comprising polyester, whereby theuse comprises (1) placing select material in the woven mesh, (2) sealingthe mesh to contain the select material during immersion, (3) immersingthe material-containing mesh into hot or cold liquid for a time andunder conditions to infuse the material, (4) producing the consumableliquid from the infusion and (5) collecting the consumable liquid formultiple serve consumption.

In one embodiment, the consumable liquid is selected from the groupcomprising teas, coffees and other infusions.

In one embodiment, the polyester may be one or a blend of the following:Polyglycolide or Polyglycolic acid, Polylactic acid, Polycaprolactone,Polyethylene adipate, Polyhydroxyalkanoate, Poly(ethylene terephthalate)(PET), Polybutylene terephthalate, Polytrimethylene terephthalate,Polyethylene naphthalate and Vectran. In a more preferred embodiment,the polyester is PET.

In one embodiment, the device is in the form of a filter or pillowpack.

In a further embodiment, the select material may be any plant part. Theplant part may be seeds, leaves, dried herbs, flowers, fruits orberries. The seeds may be coffee beans in the form of coffee grinds. Theleaves may be tea leaves.

In one embodiment, the mesh is sealed by sealing means. The means toseal the mesh includes, but not limited to, ultrasonic welding anddirect heat. In another embodiment, the ultrasonic welding compriseshigh frequency low amplitude vibration. In an example, the highfrequency is within the range of about 15 kHz to about 40 kHz. Thetemperature to directly heat seal the mesh is in a range between about50 and about 200 degrees Celsius. In another embodiment, the temperatureis in a range between about 100 to about 150 degrees Celsius. In afurther embodiment, the temperature is about 125 degrees Celsius.

In one embodiment, the dimensions of the mesh comprise a width andlength of about 50 millimetres (mm) to about 200 millimetres (mm)respectively.

In some embodiments, the dimensions of the mesh comprise a width andlength of about 90 millimetres (mm) to about 120 millimetres (mm).

A method of making multiple serves of a consumable liquid comprising:

(1) placing a device comprising woven mesh which substantially comprisespolyester into a Bodum® or brewer or any apparatus in which the purposeof using the apparatus is to produce the consumable liquid;(2) placing select material in the woven mesh;(3) sealing the mesh to contain the select material during immersion;(4) immersing the material-containing mesh into hot or cold liquid for atime and under conditions for infusion to occur whereby a consumableliquid is produced by the infusion in an amount that allows for multipleserves; and(5) collecting the consumable liquid for multiple serve consumption.

In one embodiment, the consumable liquid is selected from the groupcomprising teas, coffees and other infusions.

In one embodiment, the polyester may be one or a blend of the following:Polyglycolide or Polyglycolic acid, Polylactic acid, Polycaprolactone,Polyethylene adipate, Polyhydroxyalkanoate, Poly(ethylene terephthalate)(PET), Polybutylene terephthalate, Polytrimethylene terephthalate,Polyethylene naphthalate and Vectran. In a more preferred embodiment,the polyester is PET.

In one embodiment, the device is in the form of a filter or pillowpack.

In a further embodiment, the select material may be any plant part. Theplant part may be seeds, leaves, dried herbs, flowers, fruits orberries. The seeds may be coffee beans in the form of coffee grinds. Theleaves may be tea leaves.

In one embodiment, the mesh is sealed by sealing means. The means toseal the mesh includes, but not limited to, ultrasonic welding anddirect heat. In another embodiment, the ultrasonic welding compriseshigh frequency low amplitude vibration. In an example, the highfrequency is within the range of about 15 kHz to about 40 kHz. Thetemperature to directly heat seal the mesh is in a range between about50 and about 200 degrees Celsius. In another embodiment, the temperatureis in a range between about 100 to about 150 degrees Celsius. In afurther embodiment, the temperature is about 125 degrees Celsius.

In one embodiment, the dimensions of the mesh comprise a width andlength of about 50 millimetres (mm) to about 200 millimetres (mm)respectively.

In some embodiments, the dimensions of the mesh comprise a width andlength of about 90 millimetres (mm) to about 120 millimetres (mm).

Definitions

The woven mesh of the invention, which is a woven mesh madesubstantially of polyester, may be referred to in the examples andfigures as “mesh”, “mesh bag” or “silk bag” and should be considereddistinct to a filter or pillowpack made substantially of paper. Thedevice comprising the woven mesh of the invention is useful in producingmultiple serves of a consumable liquid.

The term “multiple serves” means that more than a single serve ofconsumable liquid is produced.

The term “contain”, “contains”, “containing” or “contained” which couldbe used interchangeably with “retain”, “retains”, “retaining” and“retained” refers to the retention of the select material as describedherein within the sealed woven mesh such that during immersion andinfusion only soluble compounds are allowed to exit the mesh.

The term “other infusions” as used herein refers to a consumable liquidthat has been produced through the steeping of plant parts other thancoffee beans or tea leaves in a solvent such that the liquid containssoluble compounds of the plant parts that give the liquid flavour. Anon-limiting example of a solvent is water and is typically hot inrelation to temperature which ensures effective and efficient infusionof the plant parts. Non-limiting examples of plant parts for infusioninclude dried herbs, flower, fruit/berries such as lemon, chamomile,senna, apple, ginger, rooibos, and a great many other plants notmentioned herein. The dried herbs, flowers and fruit/berries may beinfused individually or in combination.

The term “pillowpack” is a description given to a square or rectangularmesh bag, into which is placed selected materials requiring immersioninto hot or cold liquid, and then sealed to contain the selectedmaterials during the immersion process. The selected materials may be,for example, coffee grinds or extracts. The term “Pillowpack” has thesame meaning as the terms “envelope”, “bag” and “pouch”. Thus, theseterms may be and are used interchangeably.

The term “brewer” is a description given to a machine that forces heatedliquid through a chamber containing material that requires infusion, andthen transports the resultant liquid, including the now-released solublecompounds, into a vessel used to distribute the liquid into cups, ordirectly into cups.

The term “coffee bag” is a description given to a square or rectangularmesh bag, into which is placed selected coffee grinds or extractsrequiring immersion into hot or cold liquid, and then sealed to containthe selected materials during the immersion process.

Bodum® is a registered trademark. Bodum® as described herein refers to amanual coffee brewer supplied by Bodum® which is freely available inAustralia. The brewer consists of a glass vessel typically containing1.5 litres of boiling water, on top of which is placed coffee grinds orextracts, on top of which is placed a plunger. After allowing a brewingtime, the plunger is forced to the base of the vessel, also transportingthe now infused coffee grinds or extracts, leaving the liquid, includingthe now released soluble compounds, ready to be poured into cups.

The term “bursting” or “exploding” as used herein describes the eventwhere a pillowpack or coffee bag, after being placed in either a breweror Bodum® and immersed in boiling water, ruptures its mesh material orsplits open its seams, allowing the contents to escape.

The term “filter” is a description given to a device that, when filledwith coffee, tea or infusion materials, and then immersed in a liquid,allows the soluble portion of the contents to pass into the liquidwhilst retaining the residual solids.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used hereinhave the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill inthe art (e.g. in aroma chemistry, acid chemistry, materials science,mechanical engineering).

Throughout this specification the word “comprise”, or variations such as“comprises” or “comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusionof a stated element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers orsteps, but not the exclusion of any other element, integer or step, orgroup of elements, integers or steps.

Throughout this specification, reference to numerical values, unlessstated otherwise, is to be taken as meaning “about” that numericalvalue. The term “about” is used to indicate that a value includes theinherent variation of error for the device and the method being employedto determine the value, or the variation that exists among the studysubjects.

The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and shouldnot be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that priorart forms part of the common general knowledge of the person skilled inthe art.

The entire content of all publications, patents, patent applications andother material recited in this specification is incorporated herein byreference.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The present invention will now be described, by way of example only,with reference to the following figures.

FIG. 1: Photograph of instructions on B/E Aerospace Brewer Machine

FIG. 2: Photograph of paper pillowpack inserted correctly in brewer tray

FIG. 3: Photograph of paper pillowpack inserted correctly in tray—Afterbrewing

FIG. 4: Photograph of paper pillowpack inserted incorrectly in brewertray

FIG. 5: Photograph of paper pillowpack inserted incorrectly in brewertray—Burst during brewing

FIG. 6: Photograph of paper pillowpack inserted incorrectly in brewertray—Burst during brewing

FIG. 7: Photograph of coffee granules remaining in brewer head afterburst pillowpack

FIG. 8: Photograph of mesh coffee bag of the invention insertedcorrectly in tray

FIG. 9: Photograph of mesh coffee bag of the invention insertedcorrectly in tray—After Brewing

FIG. 10: A schematic diagram showing typical width and length of a holesize (in micrometres) for Mesh#1

FIG. 11: A schematic diagram of a typical polyester filament within thewoven mesh from a cross-sectional perspective showing the sheath andcore of the filament

FIG. 12: A micrograph showing filaments within the woven mesh of Mesh#2at a magnification of ×100

FIG. 13: A micrograph showing filaments within the woven mesh of Mesh#2at a magnification of ×300. The width and length of the hole size weremeasured and the measured distances are shown on the micrograph

FIG. 14: A photograph of an intact paper pillowpack. This pillowpack wasin good condition with no tears or breaks in seam or top and bottom sideof bag

FIG. 15: A photograph of a paper pillowpack split at the seam. Thispillowpack had a split at one end of the seam without contentspermeating tray.

FIG. 16: A photograph of a paper pillowpack cracked on top centre: Thispillowpack was partially intact with crack under water faucet, withoutcontents permeating into tray.

FIG. 17: A photograph of a burst paper pillowpack (top panel). Thispillowpack completely burst causing contents to permeate throughout trayand into cory pot (middle panel) and aircraft drain (lower panel).

FIG. 18: Graph showing no breakages in the woven mesh pillowpackscompared to the paper pillowpacks and the trial paper pillowpacks.Breakages as indicated in this figure and the figures listed below meansmall or large splits in the pillowpacks.

FIG. 19: Graph showing breakages of paper pillowpacks when aligned inthe tray versus when placed transversely.

FIG. 20: Graph showing small number of breakages of woven meshpillowpacks when transversely (incorrectly) placed in the tray.

FIG. 21: Graph showing effect of standard coarse of coffee grind versuscoarser grind on percentage of breakages of the pillowpacks.

FIG. 22: Graph showing effect of weight of pillowpack on percentage ofbreakages of the pillowpacks.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The inventors have surprisingly found a woven mesh that is useful as afilter or pillowpack that typically contains select material such ascoffee grinds, tea leaves or other plant parts within the mesh duringimmersion of the material into hot or cold liquid for infusion and notallowing the material to exit or escape the mesh during the immersionprocess.

The woven mesh of the invention provides advantages over filters andpillowpacks that are available on the market. These conventional filtersand pillowpacks are primarily made of paper and have been known to failwhen used in brewers to produce multi-serves. For example, the paperpillowpack may fail due to breakage of the pillowpack in which thecontents of the pillowpack (e.g. coffee grinds) are released into, andthus contaminate the brewer. See for example FIG. 7 and the associatedfigure legend. A pillowpack with the woven mesh of the invention is notas susceptible to breakage compared to the paper pillowpack, as thewoven mesh which is made substantially of polyester is stronger thanmesh which is made substantially of paper as shown in The Examples,Figures and the Figure Legends. The inventors specifically refer thereader to FIGS. 2 to 9 which photographically shows intact and burstpaper pillowpacks and intact woven mesh pillowpacks.

As contemplated herein, any polyester that provides the minimalrequirements for the woven mesh to achieve an advantage over the papermesh is contemplated herein and considered to be within the scope of theinvention. As an example, the woven mesh substantially comprisespoly(ethylene terephthalate) but may alternatively or additionallycomprise Polyglycolide or Polyglycolic acid, Polylactic acid,Polycaprolactone, Polyethylene adipate, Polyhydroxyalkanoate,Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), Polybutylene terephthalate,Polytrimethylene terephthalate, Polyethylene naphthalate or Vectran. Aschematic diagram depicting a polyester filament from a cross-sectionalperspective is provided in FIG. 11. In the examples and as discussedbelow, the woven mesh comprises PET. The technical specification of thewoven mesh substantially comprising PET is provided in the Examples andcompared to a paper mesh, specifically Dynapore 123/3 as per thetradename.

The woven mesh of the invention has wide applications and benefits inthe airline, hospitality, retail and food service sectors. The wovenmesh is useful for producing multiple serves of coffee, tea or otherinfusions. As such, the woven mesh as per the invention could be in theform of a filter or pillowpack and used in Bodum®s or brewers. Anyassociated uses and systems in which water soluble compounds areextracted from select material contained within the woven mesh byinfusion are also described herein and are encompassed by the invention.

Specific uses of the woven mesh for making coffee, tea or otherinfusions include, but are not limited to, (1) Percolator replacingfilter paper, (2) Bodum®s/plungers, (3) high pressure machine brewersand (4) commercial urns.

Specific uses of the woven mesh for making loose leaf tea include, butare not limited to, (1) Percolators, (2) Bodum®s/plungers, (3) tea potsand (4) commercial teapots/urns.

As described herein, the woven mesh of the invention, that being wovenmesh substantially comprising polyester, has superior properties overmesh substantially comprising paper in terms of, for example, tensilestrength which is an important characteristic for pillowpacks as theyare under a great deal of pressure and force during immersion andinfusion particularly in a brewer. As such, the filters and pillowpacksthat comprise the woven mesh of the invention have distinct advantagesover filters and pillowpacks that are primarily made of paper.

Two devices that comprise the woven mesh of the invention have beendeveloped by the inventors. Based on experiments undertaken with one ofthe developed woven mesh devices (hereinafter referred to as “Mesh#1),some of the identified advantages over the paper devices are strongerseams to prevent splitting during plunging, stronger material to preventbreakage during plunging, improved infusion of coffee versus paperpillowpack and that a coarser grind of coffee can be used. One use ofMesh #1 is in airline Bodum®s for the purpose of brewing coffeein-flight.

A further woven mesh device (hereinafter referred to as “Mesh#2) whichwas developed by the inventors has been shown to also have advantagesover paper devices. Some of these advantages are (1) reduction ofbursting from 18.75% as per the paper device to no occurrences ofbursting with Mesh#2, (2) less coffee is required, (3) a coarser grindof coffee can be used, (4) the coffee flavoured is enhanced, (5) thecoffee body is enhanced, (6) time saved by airline staff cleaning thebrewers after paper pillowpacks burst thus providing faster service topassengers and eliminating the risk of granules from earlier burstpillowpacks floating in Bodum®s and passenger cups and (7) multiple useacross various brewers (e.g. urns, percolators, Bodum®s and machinebrewers). Mesh#2 would be useful in, for example, (1) airline Bodum®sand (2) airline machine identified brewers, for example, B/E Aerospace3510 (which has also been referred to herein as the “3510 Model” or the“3510 Series”) and 4510 Endura (which has also been referred to hereinas the “4510 Model” or the “4510 Series”). Micrographs showing filamentswithin the woven mesh of Mesh#2 at a magnification of ×100 and also at×300 are provided in FIGS. 12 and 13.

Although there is discussion of coffee above, the disclosure of thespecification clearly shows that the woven mesh of the invention isapplicable and useful for producing any consumable liquid that requiresinfusion. Any select material that products a consumable liquid as aresult of infusion may be contained in the woven mesh by sealing. Theselect material would likely be a plant part and may comprise or consistof seeds, leaves, dried herbs, flowers, fruits and/or berries. The seedsmay be coffee beans in the form of coffee grinds whilst the leaves maybe from tea plants.

With regard to sealing, the inventors used either ultrasonic welding ordirect heat to seal select material into the woven mesh. However, anymeans to effectively seal the woven mesh is contemplated herein andencompassed within the scope of the invention.

In ultrasonic welding, for example, high frequency (e.g. 15 kHz to 40kHz) low amplitude vibration is used to create heat by way of frictionbetween two parts of the mesh for sealing. The interface of the twoparts is specially designed to concentrate the energy for the maximumweld strength.

The temperature to directly heat seal the mesh is in a range betweenabout 50 and about 200 degrees Celsius, and preferably within the rangebetween about 100 to about 150 degrees Celsius, and more preferablyabout 125 degrees Celsius.

The woven mesh once sealed is essentially a square or rectangular meshbag/pillowpack as described in the Examples and as shown in the Figures.

A person skilled in the art would understand that the dimensions of thewoven mesh could include any length and any width that enables the meshduring immersion in hot or cold liquid to retain select material that issealed within the mesh. As non-limiting examples, the dimensions of themesh comprise a width and length of about 50 millimetres (mm) to about200 millimetres (mm) or about 90 millimetres (mm) to about 120millimetres (mm) respectively. Examples of the dimensions of the wovenmesh are shown in FIGS. 10 to 12.

As contemplated herein, there are uses for the woven mesh of theinvention to make or produce a consumable liquid. The steps required tomake the liquid include the placement of select material in the wovenmesh of the invention, sealing the mesh to contain the select materialwhilst in the immersion process, immersing the material-containing meshinto hot or cold liquid for a time and under conditions to infuse thematerial, producing the consumable liquid from the infusion and, then,collecting the consumable liquid for consumption. As described herein,the consumable liquid is selected from the group comprising teas,coffees and other infusions.

In addition, the woven mesh of the invention is applicable in a methodof making a consumable liquid comprising placing the woven mesh whichsubstantially comprises polyester into a Bodum® or brewer or anyapparatus in which the purpose of using the apparatus is to produce theconsumable liquid, placing select material in the woven mesh, sealingthe mesh to contain the select material during immersion, immersing thematerial-containing mesh into hot or cold liquid for a time and underconditions for infusion to occur whereby a consumable liquid is producedby the infusion and whereby the consumable liquid is collected forconsumption.

The person skilled in the art will understand and appreciate thatdifferent features disclosed herein may be combined to form combinationsof features that are within the scope of the present invention.

The present invention will now be further described with reference tothe following examples, which are illustrative only and non-limiting.

EXAMPLES Example 1 Short Description of Mesh#1

The tradename of Mesh#1 is Tearoad Sharp 5100 and comprises thefollowing technical specifications:

Description—Woven PET mesh

Overall Dimensions—Width(W) 110 mm Length(L) 155 mm

Direct Heat Seal Temperature—Vertical: 138 degrees Celsius; Horizontal:138 degrees Celsius

Ultrasonic waves were used for sealing as well

Typical hole sizes of Mesh#1 are schematically depicted in FIG. 10.

Example 2 Short Description of Mesh#2

The tradename of Mesh#2 is Tearoad Sharp 5800 and comprises thefollowing technical specifications:

Description—Fine woven PET mesh

Overall Dimensions—W 110 mm L 155 mm

Heat Seal Temperature—Vertical: 165 degrees Celsius; Horizontal: 170degrees Celsius

Typical hole sizes of Mesh#2 are shown in micrographs contained in FIGS.12 and 13.

Example 3 Technical Specifications of Mesh#1, Mesh#2 and Paper Mesh

The following technical characteristics were identified and measured:

Tensile Tensile Strength Strength MD CD Fibre (machine (cross ProductThickness size direction) direction) name Comment Material TypeGramage/m2 (mm) (denier) N/15 mm N/15 mm Dynapore Used in airline 23.0+/− 1.2 0.08 +/− 0.01 >16.2 >4.8 123/3 brewers Mesh#1 To be used inairline PET Woven 23.1 0.08 25 32.3 37.7 Bodum ® s Mesh#2 To be used inairline PET Woven 25-40 Bodum ® s and airline brewers Hole Melting pointMelting point Mesh Product Elongation Elongation Size Aperture (degC.) - a part of (deg C.) - a Count name (%) - warp (%) - weft (um) ratiosheath part of core (Filaments/inch) Dynapore 123/3 Mesh#1 16.2 22.7 210+/− 5 62.40% 175 255 warp 97 ± 4 × weft 97 ± 4 Mesh#2 210 × 120 35.00%175 255 warp 97 ± 4 × weft 94 ± 4

Measurements of the mesh counts (filaments/inch) and open space ratio(%) are described in the below table.

Mesh count filaments/inch Open Space Open Space dimension (mm) Warp Weftratio % Warp Weft 97 97 62.1 0.206 0.206 97 105 60.5 0.206 0.189 97 11059.5 0.206 0.177 97 115 58.4 0.206 0.167 97 120 57.3 0.206 0.158 97 12556.2 0.206 0.149 97 130 55.4 0.206 0.142

Example 4 Summary of In-Flight Testing of Grinders Pillowpack CoffeePerformed by Qantas

Various reports from Qantas cabin crew have been collected and analysed.It has been identified that on a number of occasions during thein-flight preparation of coffee for the Economy cabin in which Grinderspaper pillowpacks were used in a machine coffee brewer, the pillowpackswere found to ‘explode’ or break open during the brew cycle.

From this preliminary finding, a formal review and testing wereundertaken. Grinders pillowpack coffee was tested over four domesticsectors utilising in-flight coffee machine brewers. The Pillowpacksprovided were manufactured with a +10 mm and −10 mm area of thePillowpacks. Five Pillow packs of each +10 mm and −10 mm were testedover three separate sectors in different machines on different aircraft.Brewing was performed according to the instructions provided on the backof the Grinders Coffee packaging. Pillowpacks were thoroughly inspectedfor imperfections prior to utilization. The below tables provideinformation on the aircraft type, registration of the aircraft,pillowpack type, cycle time and pillowpack conditions.

Aircraft Aircraft Pillowpack Cycle Pillowpack Type Rego type timecondition 737-800 VH-VXA +10 5 min Split at seam 737-800 VH-VXA +10 4min Intact 737-800 VH-VXA +10 3 min Split at seam 737-800 VH-VXA +10 4min Intact 737-800 VH-VXA +10 3 min Intact 737-800 VH-VXA −10 4 minIntact 737-800 VH-VXA −10 3 min Intact 737-800 VH-VXA −10 3 min Split atseam 737-800 VH-VXA −10 4 min Cracked on top Centre 737-800 VH-VXA −10 3min Cracked on top Centre

Aircraft Aircraft Pillowpack Cycle Pillowpack Type Rego type timecondition 737-800 VH-VXO +10 4 Split on side 737-800 VH-VXO +10 4 Intact737-800 VH-VXO +10 4 Intact 737-800 VH-VXO +10 3 Intact 737-800 VH-VXO+10 4 Intact 737-800 VH-VXO −10 3 Cracked on top Centre 737-800 VH-VXO−10 3 Burst 737-800 VH-VXO −10 3 Intact 737-800 VH-VXO −10 3 Split ontop 737-800 VH-VXO −10 3 Split on seam

Aircraft Aircraft Pillowpack Cycle Pillowpack Type Rego type timecondition 737-800 VH-VXO +10 4 Intact 737-800 VH-VXO +10 4 Intact737-800 VH-VXO +10 3 Intact 737-800 VH-VXO +10 4 Intact 737-800 VH-VXO+10 3 Burst 737-800 VH-VXO −10 3 Burst 737-800 VH-VXO −10 3 Intact737-800 VH-VXO −10 3 Burst 737-800 VH-VXO −10 3 Intact 737-800 VH-VXO−10 3 Burst

The tables above highlight the failures of the paper pillowpacks whenused according to the manufacturer's instructions. Photographs of someof the intact and burst pillowpacks are provided in

FIGS. 14 to 17. On some of the pillowpacks that had split at the seam,it appeared the seam was actually smaller on one end than the other,this generally occurred on the −10 pillowpacks. Prior to brewing, thepillowpacks were inspected and all seams appeared to be identical.

In one instance prior to brewing, one of the pillowpacks marked as +10was noticeably a −10, this bag was removed from trial and not tested.

The conditions of testing were all similar inflight scenarios, groundtesting had occurred on a previous occasion providing a controlledenvironment, that being without the added air pressure associated withcabin pressurization. In summary, it was confirmed that on a number ofoccasions, the paper pillowpacks failed even when the pillowpacks wereused according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Example 5 Information Collected from Various Brewers

Various brewers provided the Applicant with information regardingobservational data of the pillowpacks when used in-flight withparticular focus on describing any failures during brewing. The brewersprovided observations, number of pillowpacks (bags) observed to be used,the number of breakages which ranged from unknown to 2 to 7, the flightnumber, aircraft registration number, aircraft type and brewer model. Insummary of the information, the brewers noted many failures of the paperpillowpacks. Observational notes from the brewers are provided in thebelow table. In the table, the brewers refer to the pillowpacks ascoffee bags or brewer bags.

Notes Grinders coffee bags for machine brewer kept breaking whilebrewing x2. Crew were trying to follow the instructions on the packwhich says to “place pillow pack into the brew container with the centreseal face down”. These bags do not have a centre seal Y coffee machinebags breaking (x4). Two different brewers were used. The coffee bagsused to brew coffee (six bags) in the main cabin all burst during thebrewing process. They burst in both the front and back brewers. The bagswere all different expiry dates. VZX has the new style coffee/teabrewers. Today 7 coffee bags broke during the brew process filling thepot with grinds and making the brew useless. This is happening regularlylately but is particularly bad with the new brewers. Could you pleaselook in Issue: Y machine coffee bags breaking during brew cycle. Y class3 coffee bags broke open in brewer drawer while brewing Three Y/C coffeebrewer bags were spilt when opened prior to loading into brewer tray.Please see attached photos with batch information. Coffee bags passed onto Perth catering for further investigation Brewer coffee bag broken insealed bag this is my third and other crew saying its happening to themas well Pillow Pack broken 4 coffee bags broke whilst brewing Ex perthy/c 5 x coffee bags split whist brewing. No batch numbers to report. 2Y/C coffee bag burst during brewing. A number of coffee bags for brewersburst during use. All bags carried NB notation On both sectors 3 pillowbags broke making the beverage service incredibly difficult to deliver.This is an obvious problem when the pillow bags are put into thebrewers. Unfortunately I didn't get the batch numbers as the team leaderdidn't tell me them 3 x ECY coffee machine brewer bags broke in ECY onthis sector. Sorry, I did not get the batch number Y/C - 2 coffee brewbags broke instant had to be used. Coffee Granules scalded crew member'sarm

Example 6 Trial Comparing Paper Mesh Pillowpacks and Woven MeshPillowpacks

A pillowpack trial was undertaken. Participants of the trial wereemployees of Qantas and the Applicant in which the aim was to isolatethe cause/s of the bursting of paper pillowpacks in machine brewers.

The brewers used in the trial were B/E Aerospace Model 3510 and Model4510.

Methodology consisted of eleven tests in which each test had an averageof eight pillowpacks (up to 28 for the standard pillow-pack). Thefollowing parameters were measured:

Seam strength

Pillowpack placement in brewer tray

Paper grade/strength

Silk/mesh strength & application in brewers

Coffee grind

Coffee volume/weight

The above-mentioned parameters were assessed on pillowpacks contained inPack Numbers 1 to 12 as listed in the two tables below. Thecharacteristics of the pillowpacks for each of the packs are containedin the tables. Coarse ‘1’ (−07) and other references to coarses ofcoffee grinds under the column labelled ‘Details . . . ’ refers tomachine settings on a coffee grinder and one skilled in the art wouldunderstand and apply such settings and produce the difference coarses ofgrinds without undue experimentation.

Size Pack Characteristic Details Weight (Std = No. adjusted (differencesfrom Std) (gm) 155 × 110) 1 weight (−) under-weight (−20) 55 Std 2weight (−) under-weight (−10) 65 Std 3 NIL STANDARD 75 Std 4 length (+)longer (+10 mm) 75 165 × 110 5 weight (+) over-weight (+10) 85 Std 6 Bagmaterial trial paper 65 Std 7 Bag material trial paper 75 Std 8 Bagmaterial Woven mesh 75 Std 9 grind + coarse ‘1’ (−07) 65 Std weight (−)10 grind coarse ‘1’ (−07) 75 Std 11 grind + coarse ‘2’ (−14) 65 Stdweight (−) 12 grind coarse ‘2’ (−14) 75 Std

Paper/mesh Quantity Quantity Pack (‘paper’ = Grind setting 3510 4510Total No. 23 gm) (Std = 41) series series qty 1 paper Std 12 12 24 2paper Std 12 12 24 3 paper Std 12 12 24 4 paper Std 12 12 24 5 paper Std6 only 6 only 12 only 6 paper (21 gm) Std 12 12 24 7 paper (21 gm) Std12 12 24 8 Woven mesh Std 12 12 24 9 paper 48 12 12 24 10 paper 48 12 1224 11 paper 7 12 12 24 12 paper 7 12 12 24 276 

The seal temperature in degrees Celsius of the paper pillowpacks and thewoven mesh pillowpacks as per the above-mentioned pack numbers is thefollowing:

Bag Longitudinal Transversal Paper 160 188 Mesh 138 138

The extensive information was collected and analysed. The results areshown in the below tables. The first listed table below relates toinformation collected on pillowpacks brewed on a 4510 brewer model. Thesecond listed table relates to information collected on pillowpacksbrewed on a 3510 model.

In total, 100 pillowpacks were tested over the two days. It was foundthat no major difference in results between brewer models was observednor whether the seams of the pillowpacks are up or down. However, ingathering and analysing the data, specific causes of burstingpillowpacks were observed. They were (1) use of paper instead of thewoven mesh, (2) incorrect placement of the pillowpack into the tray,i.e. transverse placement, (3) coarseness of coffee grind and (4) weightof the pillowpack.

The following data was collected and shows that no failures of wovenmesh pillowpacks were observed when all pillowpacks tested were alignedin the tray. In contrast, failures were observed with the paper andtrial paper pillowpacks.

Large Paper Small Paper Grand Good Split Split Total mesh 12 12 Paper 133 16 trial paper 2 2 2 6 Grand Total 27 2 5 34

It is clear from the data that woven mesh pillowpacks have considerablyless breakages, actually no breakages compared to the paper pillowpacksin which 18.75% of these pillowpacks were found to have splits in thepaper mesh. A graph of the data contained in the above table is found inFIG. 18.

One cause of breakages appears to be incorrect placement of thepillowpacks such as transverse placement in the trays. From the databelow, the paper pillowpacks have a higher incidence of breakage thanmesh pillowpacks when placed transversely in the tray. This indicatesthat the woven mesh has a greater ability to maintain integrity of thewoven mesh even when the pillowpack is placed incorrectly compared tothe paper pillowpacks.

Paper Large Paper Small Paper Grand pillowpack Good Split Split TotalAligned 13 3 16 Transverse 5 3 8 Grand Total 13 5 6 24 Mesh Large SealGrand pillowpack Good failure Total Aligned 13 13 Transverse 2 2 4 GrandTotal 15 2 17

The graph of the breakages of the paper pillowpacks is found in FIG. 19.The graph showing breakages of the woven mesh pillowpacks whentransversely placed in the tray is shown in FIG. 20. Large Seal failurein FIG. 20 is abbreviated to L'Seal fail.

In relation to coarseness of coffee grinds, the following data wascollected.

Large Paper Small Paper Grand Good Split Split Total #2 7 1 8 Std 13 5 624 Grand Total 20 5 7 32

All variables associated with the pillowpacks tested were the same (e.g.paper pillowpacks were used and weight was 75 grams) except for thecoarse of the coffee grinds. The results show that a coarser grindsdramatically reduce the incidence of pillowpack failures. A graph of thedata contained in the above table is found in FIG. 21.

In relation to weight, the following data was collected.

Large Paper Small Paper Grand Good Split Split Total 65 g 10 10 75 g 133 16 85 g 1 2 1 4 Grand Total 24 2 4 30

The results show that additional weight increases failure rates. A graphof the data is in FIG. 22.

Other observations in relation to the paper pillowpacks include thefollowing:

Most cases of bag failure were from splitting of the paper rather thangiving at the seams.

Coarser grind reduced loss of integrity of the bag during brewing

No “popping sounds” resulted in any test

Failures were predominately found to be from bag being positionedwithout support around perimeter (i.e. transversely, at angle, or awayfrom sides)

Other observations in relation to the pillowpacks of the woven meshinclude the following:

The woven mesh did not tear/split during any test, other than during onetest when it was placed transversally

When brewed the coffee contained excessive coffee sediment. Two optionsare available to solve this, those being, use a liner in the tray anduse coarser grind. Also, coarser grind in mesh bag seemed to result instronger brew (possibly allowing for a reduction in dosage).

Other observations in relation brewers including the following:

Generally 3510 (with deeper tray) had more failures relative to 4510(believed due to tray volume allowing excessive expansion, i.e. notsupporting bag)

3510 Brewer instructions note that pillowpack breakages are to beexpected

Madura now has a 3510 brewer on loan from Qantas and will complete dailyquality assurance checks on all pillowpack production runs.

Example 7 In-Flight Evaluation #1—Evaluation on Flight from GC toMelbourne (Virgin Flight DJ724)

Evaluators were advised that the flight crew just had a bag failure with4510 series.

Evaluators noted that the bags were wrapped in plastic bag, andliterally ‘stuffed’ into a drawer along with other products. There wereboth paper and mesh bags stored this way, pre-stressing seals.

Flight crew commented that the brewers had only recently been installed,all 4510 series. And added that when the paper bags fail, they either:

-   -   Insert a mesh bag into the brewer, or    -   Make a coffee using a Robert Timms coffee bag

Flight crew said the mesh works well, and it drops in nicely. They foundthe paper bag too large, requiring shuffling into place, with potentialdamage from fingernails and prodding around the seals.

Flight crew also commented that they have never had a mesh bag fail, andthat they have not had any complaints such as silt in the cup.

Example 8 Trial Comparing Paper Mesh Pillowpacks and Woven MeshPillowpacks

A pillowpack trial was undertaken at Qantas Maintenance Facility inMelbourne, Victoria, Australia. Participants of the trial were employeesof Qantas and the Applicant in which the aim was to isolate the cause/sof the bursting of paper pillowpacks in machine brewers. The followinginformation was obtained.

Body Flavour Sedament Total Test Type (Low 1: (Low 1: (Low 0: SedimentScoreout No Brewer no Pk Type Grind Weight High 3) High 3) Lots 2) Scoreof 9 12 3510 20 Fine Mesh 2 70 g 3 3 0 3 9 6 4510 20 Fine Mesh 2 70 g 33 1 2 8 1 3510 15 Std Paper 2 75 g 2 2 0 3 7 3 4510 21 Fine Mesh 2 75 g3 3 2 1 7 4 3510 15 Std Paper 2 75 g 2 2 0 3 7 8 3510 15 Std Paper 2 75g 2 2 0 3 7 11 3510 15 Std Paper 2 75 g 2 2 0 3 7 13 4510 21 Fine Mesh 275 g 3 2 1 2 7 14 3510 15 Std Paper 2 75 g 2 2 0 3 7 15 3510 14 StdPaper 2 70 g 2 2 0 3 7 10 4510 19 Fine Mesh 2 65 g 1 2 0 3 6 16 4510 13Std Paper 2 65 g 1 1 0 3 5 2 3510 18 Std Mesh 2 75 g 1 1 1 2 4 5 3510 17Std Mesh 2 70 g 1 1 1 2 4 9 3510 16 Std Mesh 2 65 g 1 1 1 2 4Test results confirmed the mix of coffee components to produce thehighest scoring coffee in terms of (1) body, (2) flavour and (3) lowsediment.

1. A device to produce multiple serves of a consumable liquid, whereinthe device comprises woven mesh substantially comprising polyester. 2.The device of claim 1, wherein the polyester comprises at least one ofPolyglycolide, Polyglycolic acid, Polylactic acid, Polycaprolactone,Polyethylene adipate, Polyhydroxyalkanoate, Poly(ethylene terephthalate)(PET), Polybutylene terephthalate, Polytrimethylene terephthalate,Polyethylene naphthalate and Vectran.
 3. The device of claim 2, whereinthe polyester is PET.
 4. The device of claim 3 wherein the device is inthe form of a filter or a pillowpack.
 5. The device of claim 4, whereinthe pillowpack seals a select material.
 6. The device of claim 5,wherein the select material is any plant part that is infused to producethe consumable liquid.
 7. The device of claim 6, wherein the plant partis seeds, leaves, dried herbs, flowers, fruits, berries or anycombination thereof.
 8. The device of claim 7, wherein the seeds arecoffee beans in the form of coffee grinds.
 9. The device of claim 7,wherein the leaves are tea leaves.
 10. The device of claim 5, whereinthe mesh is sealed by sealing means.
 11. The device of claim 10, whereinmeans to seal the mesh is via ultrasonic welding and/or direct heat. 12.The device of claim 11, wherein ultrasonic welding comprises highfrequency low amplitude vibration wherein the high frequency is withinthe range of about 15 kHz to about 40 kHz.
 13. The device of claim 11,wherein the temperature to directly heat seal the mesh is in a rangebetween about 50 and about 200 degrees Celsius or in a range betweenabout 100 to about 150 degrees Celsius or the temperature is about 125degrees Celsius.
 14. The device of claim 5, wherein dimensions of themesh comprise a width and length of about 50 millimetres (mm) to about200 millimetres (mm) or a width and length of about 90 millimetres (mm)to about 120 millimetres (mm).
 15. A method of manufacturing a device,wherein the device comprises woven mesh substantially comprisingpolyester, wherein the method comprises (1) placing select material intothe woven mesh; and (2) sealing the woven mesh so that the selectmaterial remains in the mesh during immersion.
 16. A method of makingmultiple serves of a consumable liquid comprising: (1) placing thedevice of claim 5 into a Bodum® or brewer or any apparatus in which thepurpose of using the apparatus is to produce the consumable liquid; (2)immersing the device into hot or cold liquid for a time and underconditions for infusion to occur wherein a consumable liquid is producedby the infusion in an amount that allows for multiple serves; and (3)collecting the consumable liquid for multiple serve consumption.
 17. Themethod according to claim 16, wherein the consumable liquid is selectedfrom the group consisting of tea, coffee and another infusion.